Voting will take place in the high school gym from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The proposed 2008-09 budget of $102,514,445 represents a 2.94 percent spending increase over this year's budget of $99,587,785.

While tax rates for the three towns comprising the district are not yet available, the total tax levy, which is the amount to be collected districtwide, is up 2.4 percent. Officials say both the spending and tax levy increases are among the smallest of any district on Long Island.

The spending increase is also lower than the maximum increase the district would be permitted under a contingency budget, which would go into effect if the budget is defeated twice.

The maximum increase under a contingency budget would be 3.36 percent, a figure based on an increase in the Consumer Price Index. Contingency budgets limit what money can be spent on, however.

The special proposition seeks authorization to use $375,000 from a voter-approved capital reserve fund to remove an oil tank at the district's bus barn. Voters approved the creation of the fund two years ago and approved a list of projects to spend the money on last year.

Officials say, however, those projects came in so far under budget that there is enough left over to pay for the oil tank job without seeking additional funds. The referendum is only needed because every use of the fund needs voter approval, officials said. The state is requiring the tank to be moved by Jan. 1, 2010.

The proposed budget includes a number of new programs aimed at helping schoolchildren who are struggling in reading in the early grades. Superintendent Diane Scricca said research shows that if kids are struggling with reading after the age of 7, it becomes very difficult to correct the problem. The district also plans to add another period in the middle school to give more instruction in math and English and to add new reading labs and reading help in 9th grade.

"We are making sure students don't fall through the cracks," said Nancy Carney, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

The proposed budget also includes ongoing teacher development programs and the creation of K-12 directors in English, math, science, social studies and English as a second language, positions that officials say will enable them to align curriculum through all grades and better detect things like gaps and overlaps in instruction.

The budget also includes the reorganization of the alternative high school, which will be brought back onto the high school campus next year, Ms. Carney said.

The district gets about 18.87 percent of the budget from state and federal aid, according to Ms. Carney. Other districts in western Suffolk get much higher percentages of their budget from state aid, she said.

Dr. Scricca said 10 teaching positions were cut in the budget due to falling enrollment, but that all but one of the teachers will be brought back to fill positions vacated by retirements or teachers leaving.

Three incumbent board members -- Nancy Gassert, Kathy Berezny and Brian Stark -- are seeking re-election, and four challengers -- Ann Cotten-DeGrasse, Greg Meyer, Mario Carrera and Sal Mastropaolo -- are also on the ballot. All candidates addressed the public at Tuesday's board meeting.

Ms. Gassert has been on the board for 12 years, the past two as president. "Nothing is more important to me than the education, welfare and safety of the children," she said, adding that she also has a "strong commitment" to be cautious with tax money.

Ms. Berezny has been on the board for six years and has also served on parent-teacher organizations for 18 years. "I've been on both sides of the aisle," she said.

Mr. Stark, a principal of Glenwood Village, a large manufactured-home park in Riverhead, has been on the school board for three years. He said some people are trying to portray the election as being about communication on the school board, but he feels it should be about "kids writing good essays that are grammatically correct, and having better guidance at the high school so kids can apply to the right college."

Mr. Carrera, a building inspector for Suffolk County, said, "I want to see kids have an excellent education but I also want to see them have an opportunity to live here after they graduate college. The tax burden in the district is getting difficult to stay here."

Mr. Carrera said he wants to eliminate waste from the school system "and get the best education for the least amount of tax dollars."

Ann Cotten-DeGrasse, a retired teacher who taught in the district for 33 years, was also president of the teachers' union in Riverhead for five years and is a founding member. "I want people to have a positive attitude about this district," she said. She noted that her experience as a teacher will give her unique insight as a board member and said she wants to see everyone in the district working together.

Sal Mastropaolo is retired from IBM, where he worked for 33 years in numerous management and planning positions. "The reason I'm running for the board is that I want to use my business, finance and planning experience I gained at IBM for the betterment of the Riverhead Central School District," he said.

Mr. Meyer is a firefighter and emergency medical technician at Brookhaven Lab. "I have always had an open mind and listen to others' point of view," he said, adding that he wants to "re-establish the trust and relationships between the school board, the administration, teachers, parents, taxpayers and students."

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